


Digital Love

by blossomdreams



Series: Something About Us [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Because yes, M/M, because i love the au idea of these two falling in love online, but you know it's him, hinata isn't mentioned by name, i will probably make bokuto/kuroo/akaashi a thing, it will be cute, slow building romance, will add more characters as I introduce them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-04-30 02:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5147597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blossomdreams/pseuds/blossomdreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before there were video chats and plans to meet up it all started with a reply to a thread in a video game chat room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I am back with the first part of the main story of "Something About Us". This one is also named after a Daft Punk song because I love that video and the song makes me think about two people who've met online and fell in love behind their screen. In this one I know there are strong hints of Bokuto/Kuroo, but it's actually going to be Bokuto/Kuroo/Akaashi well that's an idea I have actually because I like the idea of the three of them together.
> 
> Oh and in this one I didn't mention Hinata by name, but I tried to show that it was him. I'm sure he could make his excitement known through the screen. Oh and Kenma co-runs one of those boards he also has other social media outlets that he pretty much uses for Lev and the others.
> 
> Many different characters are going to appear in this and I will adjust the tags too. It's my first time writing them like this so I do hope I get their voices right. Well enough of this long not let's begin!

Kenma stretched his arms above his head before he walked inside his apartment. He yawned as he dropped his bag by the door and pulled his PSP out of his hoodie pocket on the way to the couch. He flopped down on it as he turned it on and started up his favorite RPG. He needed it after today. It wasn’t a bad day, but it tired him out. He was still getting used to working with people almost every day and he needed some time to himself to relax.

Kenma settled against the couch, organizing his mage’s spells, when he heard his name. He looked up to see Kuroo walking in the living room as he tied an apron around his waist. “Hey Kenma! Long day?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad though. My boss approved of my designs, so all I have to do is finish them. How about you?”

“Not bad. Oh Bokuto broke his own personal record on delivering goods to one of our customers. She was sick today, so Bokuto made sure to get her normal delivery and made it there on time. It was pretty funny watching him ride like crazy too.”

“That’s good. How’s Akaashi-san?”

“He’s good, still adjusting to work in the store, but he’s pretty good. So what do you want for dinner?”

Kenma shrugged. “Anything is fine.”

“Curry?”

“Sure.”

“Coming up.” Kuroo grinned before he walked back into the kitchen. Kenma hummed as he returned to his game. He just moved to an apartment with his best friend from high school. It wasn’t too bad since trying to find a cheap apartment in Tokyo right out of high school was like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. It was cheaper to live with someone and if he lived with Kuroo then he wouldn’t have to go through the whole roommate process. He got a job as a game designer, which worked out well for him, and settled into an easy routine. With the exception of working with people daily everything wasn’t too bad. Nothing stood out, though at the same time nothing really got him excited anymore either.

Well, there were his games to look forward to after all, along with the forum he became a co-mod over. Kenma hummed softly as he paused his game and closed his PSP. He remembered about a thread he started before he went to work about the archer in his RPG. The archer was his favorite minor character. While there wasn’t as much material out on him as there was the warrior character, he didn’t mind. He found some really nice things for them when he looked hard enough. Kenma started the thread for the archer many times before and didn’t get much of a response. He wondered if he got one today.

It was worth a shot to see.

Kenma got up and walked over to his bag to grab his laptop. He carried it back over to the couch and turned it on. He quickly checked his mail, closed a tab he used for art reference, before he opened the forum. He logged in and stopped when he saw the notification that someone answered his thread. He didn’t think it would happen, but there it was staring at him. Kenma didn’t know how long he looked at it before Kuroo walked in with a ladle in his hand.

“Yo, you alright? It’s like you stopped moving there for a bit.”

Kenma blinked out of his daze as he looked up at him. “Hmm? Oh yeah, I’m fine. Remember that thread I started before I left for work?”

“Yeah.”

Kenma pointed at the screen. “Look someone answered.”

“Awesome! I know how you’ve been posting about that guy for some time. Are you going to answer it?”

Kenma shrugged. “What if it’s a troll?”

Kuroo grinned. “Then we tell Bokuto and that troll will never come around again.”

Kenma couldn’t help the small laugh that left his lips. Bokuto didn’t like when anyone tried to crush someone’s excitement. He made quite a name of himself as being the guy to join in on any thread or post about something exciting and joining in on the fun. If he saw that someone tried to damper it, it never ended well. It was the opposite of what Kenma would do. It still made him feel good that he could get help if he asked for it.

Kenma shook his head. “It’s alright. I’ll just answer it.”

“Okay, let me know if it’s a troll.”

“I will.”

Kuroo looked back over his shoulder before he walked back into the kitchen. Kenma took a small breath as he clicked the link. His eyes widened a bit while he read the response.

**_I love this character so much! He’s so cool once you get all his upgrades and then he can shoot arrows really far! He’s not that strong, but he’s really useful in a fight if you have him with the right people! He’s one of my favorite characters and I am so glad that someone else likes him too! Hey! Hey! What’s your favorite bow for him? Do you play the girl version too? I play both of them I can’t decide. XD_ **

**_So, what’s your favorite?_ **

Kenma sat back and stared at the screen. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw such excitement that wasn’t hidden bait for someone trying to start an argument in the forum. He read the message again and again as he tried to think of something to write back. Kenma didn’t think he would get a response, now that he had one he didn’t know what to say. He thought it over for a bit before he typed out his response.

**_My favorite bow for him is the water one you win after finishing the bar maiden’s request. I have a file with the girl version. I have three other bows that are my favorite. I use the water one the most._ **

**_…What’s your favorite?_ **

Kenma looked his answer over about three times before he hit the reply button. Part of him wanted to edit and add more to his response, but he held back when Kuroo announced dinner was done. He closed his laptop and shuffled in the kitchen.

“So was it a troll?” Kuroo asked as he placed the plates on the table.

Kenma shook his head. “Whoever posted really liked them. They asked me what my favorite bow was for the archer too.”

“See, I knew it wouldn’t be too bad.”

“Did you tell Bokuto-san?”

“I will after dinner, I mean I didn’t tell him!” Kuroo exclaimed as he took his seat.

Kenma gave a small smile as he started on his food. It was easy for Kuroo to say what was on his mind. During dinner Kenma thought about the response again while Kuroo searched for the snapchat Bokuto sent him. He wondered if that person would reply back. He doubted it though.

After dinner Kuroo left to take his bath while Kenma returned to the living room to get his game. He saw his laptop on the table and decided to see if he got a response. When he returned to the site he nearly dropped his laptop. He got a response and it was as enthusiastic as before.

**_Really? You know I haven’t gotten that one yet! I really want to get it, but every time I play that quest I end up losing! Do you know how to get through that level? I would really like to know how to get through. I know someone else who plays the game too, but they won’t tell me how to get through that level and I really want that bow. Oh! My favorite is the fire one! I like how helpful it is during the request in the snow kingdom. Are you finished with the game?_ **

Kenma leaned back and thought about his answer again before he responded. He put a few links of a guide sites to help him. He may be playing the game again, but it was on a higher level. He didn’t want to confuse them. Kenma hit reply before he returned to his game. About twenty minutes later his email chime went off to let him know he got another response.

Kenma placed his game down to answer it again. Normally he would have ignored it for another day, but he found that he enjoyed answering them back. They responded back faster than most people and even found pictures of the archer Kenma didn’t have. They went back and forth, until time passed before he knew it. He looked for his favorite fan artist when Kuroo tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, it’s your turn for the bathroom. I’ve been out for an hour now did you hear me?”

Kenma shook his head. “Sorry. I’ll go take my bath now.” He turned back to his computer and sent a quick response of “ ** _BRB_** ” and closed his laptop. He got up and stretched his arms over his head when he noticed Kuroo’s smirk.

“What?”

“You’ve been talking to them this whole time, huh?”

Kenma looked away with a shrug. “Yeah they’re nice to talk to. It’s rare to find someone who likes the archer too.” He frowned a bit when Kuroo chuckled. “What?”

“Nothing I think you like talking to them. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you stay that long in a video game forum.”

“I am the co-mod.”

“Yeah, but it looks like you’re having fun tonight. You are, aren’t you?” Kuroo smiled. It was amazing how much he looked like the Cheshire cat at that moment. Kenma opened his mouth to deny it when he thought about it and gave him a little smile instead. “Yeah, I am. I’m going to take my bath now.”

Kuroo chuckled. “Alright Kenma.”

Kenma walked to his room to get his pajamas and carried them to the bathroom. Despite trying to reason with himself that this could be a onetime thing it didn’t stop him from thinking back on the conversation with a small smile. He really liked it, it’s been a while since he enjoyed being on a forum for that long.

After his bath Kenma dried his hair as he walked back to his room. He took a seat at his desk and knocked the mouse on his computer to reply to their question about quests when he saw he had a private message. He placed his towel around his neck before he clicked the message.

**_Hi! I wish I could talk longer with you today, but I have some work to do. XD I don’t think I’ll be able to get back on tonight. Can we talk again tomorrow?_ **

_They want to talk again tomorrow?_ Kenma swallowed from a combination of excitement and fear. He liked that they wanted to talk tomorrow, but he couldn’t remember the last time that happened. What if he messed it up? Or said something that would get him angry and try to get the other members of the board to work against him? He didn’t think he could take that again.

Different thoughts floated through his mind when another private message popped up. He took a breath to calm down before he clicked it.

**_I’m sorry if I’m messaging you too much I’m just really happy that I found someone else who likes the archer too! I understand if you won’t be on tomorrow too._ **

_They sound as nervous as me._ Kenma relaxed as he read it again. It made him feel good that they wanted to talk tomorrow too. His fingers moved before his nerves could stop him.

**_No, it’s fine. I don’t mind. Let’s talk again tomorrow._ **

Kenma returned to their thread and started saving some of the pictures he didn’t have, when he noticed he had a message in his inbox again. He clicked on it and laughed softly at the picture of a big smiley face with the message underneath.

**_YAY! I’m so happy we can talk tomorrow! Thanks for the tips! Talk to you tomorrow!_ **

Kenma quickly messaged him back with a small smiley face. **_See you tomorrow._**

He returned to the thread and finished saving the pictures he didn’t have before he logged out for the night. Well, that was new. Kenma didn’t expect a response, but now he has someone to talk to about the game tomorrow. He had another thing to look forward to instead of going home and getting further in whatever game he had. He didn’t mind having a calm routine, though he couldn’t deny how nice it felt to have that to look forward to.

Kenma shut down his computer before he took the towel back to the bathroom. He walked out and over to the living room to grab his game when he passed by Kuroo’s room.

“Hey Kenma! Did that person respond?”

Kenma nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to talk again tomorrow.”

“Oho ho? Is that so?”

“…I can see you’ve been talking to Bokuto-san tonight.”

Kuroo laughed. “Yeah I have, but that’s pretty good. Your forum will be busy in no time.”

Kenma waved it away. “I hope it stays the same size. It doesn’t need to get bigger and I’m co-mod, remember?”

“It would still be cool.”

“I’m going to finish this level before I go to bed. Do you need anything?”

“Nope, I’m going to look at a movie then call it a night.”

“Alright, night Kuroo.”

“Night Kenma.” Kuroo gave him another smile before he walked back in his room while his fingers worked against the keyboard.

Kenma hummed softly as he grabbed his PSP off the couch and walked back to his room. He settled on his bed and started up his game again. He couldn’t stop the small smile on his face as he picked the file that had the archer in his main party.

For the first time in a while he looked forward to tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata looks forward to talking to the new person in the forum again. Now if the world would let him get online in time that would be great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this is a day late. I really worked hard to make sure it came out tomorrow, but things didn't work out in my favor. Well the upside is this chapter is a little longer than before, so next week I'll do the same for Kenma. Next week will be Kenma while the week after will be Hinata's and so on. I'll probably make a side stories for everyone else since I don't know if putting their stories in this one will throw the flow off a bit. Also, I can't decide between keeping trainer Tanaka or having him quit his job to be a tattoo artist. So many things! Also there's a light mention of AsaNoya because I love that pairing. I also love Suga in glasses because it's Suga in glasses.
> 
> Alright after that long paragraph we can begin!
> 
> Oh and we'll see Kageyama again soon. This won't be KageHina though I have another idea for them. Well enjoy!

“Oi Shoyou! Breakfast!”

Hinata shot up and peeled a page off his face as he stifled a yawn behind his hand. He only meant to rest his eyes for a little bit before he worked on the three pages he was trying to finish the night before when he fell asleep at his desk again. He groggily slid his fingers through his hair as he looked at the page that was on his face. It was a bit wrinkled, but he could still use it. He might have to draw it over again though. Hinata groaned a bit as he got up and shuffled over to the bathroom.

He tried to catch up with his work last night so he could spend some time on the computer today. Hinata grinned as he thought about his conversation yesterday with the other archer fan. He looked everywhere for anything about them. It was easy to find art or fics, but any discussion about them seemed to night to exist. He decided to try again last night when he had a break and nearly fell out of his chair when he came across that thread in the forum he checked. He couldn’t believe he found another person who liked the archer as much as he did.

Once they started talking time passed before he knew it. He knew if he didn’t leave he would stay on the thread all night. He couldn’t do that not when he had a few more pages to complete for his editor to check today. He hoped that he didn’t have to change too much today. He really wanted to keep his word and talk more about the archer again.

Hinata finished his morning routine and stretched his arms above his head when he walked out the bathroom. He woke up a bit more from the delicious smell that hit his nose when he walked into the kitchen.

“Everything smells so good today!” Hinata exclaimed as he plopped down in his seat.

Nishinoya grinned as he placed a plate in front of him. “Thanks! I know you have to meet with your editor and do some work, so made a breakfast that would really give you the energy you need today!”

Hinata bounced a bit in his seat. “You’re the best!”

Nishinoya puffed his chest out proudly. “Of course, but thank you.” He turned back to the stove to finish some more eggs while Hinata started on his breakfast.

After high school, Hinata didn’t know what to do. He tried different things, but they didn’t stick for very long. Hinata didn’t think he would be able to find anything except going to work in an office when he picked up his sketchbook again.

At first he did it to lower his stress in between job applications when he realized he had a full chapter finished. Hinata liked it so much that he submitted it to a contest in one of the manga he read. Then the rest became history. He got a contract, a good editor, and started on his career as a manga artist. It was something that he was good at that he wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Once he found his job he still had to find a place. Hinata searched day in and out for a place when he wasn’t very successful. He didn’t think he would find one when his friends Nishinoya and Tanaka offered their place. They had an opening since their third roommate left for a job in Osaka. Hinata couldn’t believe his luck.

While he drew during the day Tanaka worked as a trainer in the nearby gym while Nishinoya worked at the nearby café as a sous chef. Hinata didn’t think he would enjoy a job where he sat still for a long time, but he found that he enjoyed his work very much.

Hinata went through his list of things for the day when Nishinoya turned away from the stove and cupped a hand against his mouth. “Oi Ryu! Get up or you’re going to be late!” He called out as he turned back to the stove.

Tanaka yawned as he shuffled into the kitchen with his hand under his shirt. “What time is it?”

“It’s 8:45, don’t you have to be at the gym at 9?”

“Shit! You’re right I got to get ready!” Tanaka exclaimed as he picked up a piece of toast and jogged out the kitchen. He jogged back a few seconds later and rubbed Hinata’s head. “Morning Shouyo!”

Hinata laughed. “Morning!”

Tanaka grinned. “I’m surprised you’re up this early after you stayed up last night. Did you get some sleep?”

Hinata nodded. “I did! I fell asleep on a few pages though that I might have to do over.”

“If you need some help with that I can do some inking when I get home.” Tanaka said.

“I’m doing the dinner rush tonight, so I won’t have any energy when I come home. I can do something today though.” Nishinoya said as he cut off the stove.

“I drew everything out and I’m almost finished touching up everything. I just have to ink three pages then meet with Suga-san today. He’ll let me know if I need to do any pages then I can finish it up. I’m trying to make sure I don’t have that much work tonight.” Hinata said. He didn’t notice the silly grin he got on his face as he thought about the message from yesterday. He did notice the smirks on Nishinoya and Tanaka’s faces.

“You sure want to finish things fast tonight. Why? Do you have a hot date you’re not telling us about?” Tanaka teased.

“Yeah! Who’s the lucky person?” Nishinoya asked.

“It’s not a date! Remember the person who responded to my answer in that forum yesterday? Well, I told them I would be back tonight. I know I can’t do that if I have work to do. I can’t slack on my pages either. Suga-san will get me if he knows I did that again…” Hinata trailed off with a slight shiver. He would never forget that smile that sent shivers down his spine.

“Oh you were talking about them. Sure, we’ll make sure you get back on there tonight.” Tanaka said.

Nishinoya nodded. “We’ll help you lessen the load today.”

Hinata nearly teared up. Sometimes he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. “Thanks guys! I’ll make sure to work really hard too.”

“I don’t doubt that for a minute. Um, Ryu, I don’t mean to alarm you but…” Nishinoya trailed off and pointed at the clock. Tanaka cussed under his breath as he grabbed his plate and ran out the room.

Hinata and Nishinoya laughed before they went back to their breakfast. “So, about the person that answered yesterday do you know anything more about them?”

Hinata shook his head. “Nope, just that they like the archer too. Oh and they had a bunch of links of guides to help me get through this part that I’ve been stuck on for so long. He knew a bunch of cool sites for pictures too! I wonder if he draws.”

“Wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

“I’ll ask him tonight!”

“You’re really excited to talk to him again. That’s so sweet!”

“Noya!”

Nishinoya laughed. “Really though I think that’s great. Hey, maybe you two can play together too.”

Hinata nodded. “I’ll ask him about that too. Oh, hey did that tall guy come back to the restaurant?” It was Hinata’s turn to grin at the way Nishinoya messed with his eggs.

“Yeah he did, but he only ordered like one thing then left really fast. I wish he could stay a little bit longer. He’s always rushing off whenever I ask him what he does. You know I’ll ask him today when he stops by.”

“Let me know how it goes.”

“I will!”

While Nishinoya and Hinata talked Tanaka ran over to the table to put his plate on it before he gave them a quick goodbye and was out the door. Nishinoya and Hinata talked about the things they had to do today while they finished up breakfast. After they finished eating Hinata walked back to his room to get his chapter while Nishinoya cleaned the dishes. Hinata carried the chapter into the living room while Nishinoya set up the table. He grabbed the cup with Hinata’s pens while Hinata spread the pages out. He just needed to do one more check before he visited to Suga’s office in a few hours.

Hinata hoped that he didn’t have to change too much today.

*~*~*

Koushi Sugawara was the one the editors for Word Wings the publishing company that picked up Hinata and his manga. He adjusted his black reading glasses as he flipped through Hinata’s pages. While he was one of the most calm and understanding of the editors, he had quite the eye for detail. Hinata tried not to fidget when Suga turned page after page of his work. It was the waiting that nearly killed him. He had to know what Suga thought of it before he moved along with his outline.

After thirty minutes of agonizing silence for Hinata, Suga took off his glasses and looked up with a smile.

“Much better Hinata, I’m glad you took my suggestion and made a few changes. Try to make sure that you keep the focus on your main character for now, then introduce more characters that tie into the plot. Don’t introduce too many at once alright?”

Hinata sighed in relief before he nodded. “Alright, thank you!”

Suga placed the pages back into the envelope and handed it to him. “You’re doing very well and your work has grown popular too. I was wondering if you’d be able to make a color cover for the next issue.”

“Yeah I can do that. I’ll start on it this weekend.”

“Okay, well, other than just a few touch ups on pages 5 and 10, everything looks good to me. Touch that up and it can go to the printer.”

“Alright, um, are you sure there isn’t anything else?”

“Hmm, we can discuss your main character and what they’re looking for. Now what’s your main characters motivation?”

“Oh, he’s a small treasure hunter and his group isn’t well known. He wants to show everyone though that they can be really great treasure hunters and be back on top!”

“A small treasure hunter, eh?”

Hinata puffed his cheeks out a bit. “You can write about what you know that’s a thing right?”

Suga chuckled. “It is, I was just wondering. Oh I hope you don’t mind...hmm?” He looked over when the door opened, “Ahh, Kageyama-san, sorry I’m still meeting with Hinata-san.”

“Oh my mistake Sugawara-san, I didn’t know. I’ll wait.” Kageyama said.

“Thank you, I’ll be with you in a bit.” Suga said.

Kageyama nodded before he narrowed his eyes a bit when they met Hinata’s. Hinata narrowed his eyes back and gripped his hands against his knees. Kageyama Tobio, another artist that won the contest with his slice of life manga about a wizard and his cat familiar, who he happened to meet in the worst ways. There was the time in the subway, then the time he beat him to the printers, there meetings haven’t been the best. Hinata could admit that he was a good artist though, but that’s it.

Kageyama walked back out of the office and closed the door behind him.

Suga turned back to Hinata with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that. Is there anything else you wanted me to look at today?”

Hinata shook his head. “No, not today.”

“Alright then we’re finished for today. Just remember what I told you and you’ll be fine.”

Hinata nodded as he quickly packed his stuff and put it in his bag. “Okay, thank you Suga-san.”

Suga waved. “See you later.”

Hinata waved back before he walked out the room. He gave another glare at Kageyama, who returned it, before he rushed down the hall. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t have that much to do today. That meant he could go back to the forum and talk to them a little bit longer than last night!

Hinata smiled as he walked out the building.

*~*~*

Everything seemed so simple when he left Suga’s office. He would go home, eat, and take a nap before Tanaka came home. He didn’t expect to fall asleep through his alarms. It was close to dinner time when Hinata felt a hand lightly shake his shoulder. He knocked it away before he tried to burrow further into the couch.

“Oi, are you going to eat dinner or not?” Tanaka asked.

Hinata opened his eyes as he sat up and slid a hand through his hair. “Hey Tanaka, when did you get home?”

“A few hours ago and your dinner is getting cold. Do you want me to put it up or not?”

“Dinner? Wait!? What time is it?”

“It’s around ten why?”

“Crap! I told him I would be back!” Hinata scrambled off the couch and stumbled into the hallway.

“Hey, what about your dinner?” Tanaka asked.

Hinata stopped when his stomach started growling. He looked at his room then back to the kitchen when an idea hit him. He jogged back to the living room and grabbed his laptop. “I can use my laptop and eat in here.”

“Why don’t you bring it in the kitchen? I mean it’s small enough to put on the table and Yu’s not here so you can do it.” Tanaka said.

One of their agreements was no electronics at the kitchen table during meals. Something Nishinoya was quite adamant about. Hinata and Tanaka didn’t mind taking a break from their phones or their work to sit together for a meal. However, today Hinata wanted to bend their agreement a bit. Then again he would feel bad to do that since Nishinoya was at work. Hinata tried to figure out what to do when Tanaka tapped his shoulder.

“Why not leave a quick message then get back to it after dinner? With the way you eat you’ll be finished in no time. Go see if they’re on first, then come back to the kitchen to eat.”

“Thank you Tanaka! I won’t take long.” Hinata walked back to the living room and set the laptop down on the table. He quickly turned it on and sat down in front of it while it loaded up. He impatiently tapped his fingers against his knee, until he could finally get on the forum. He clicked on the thread, clicked on their name, and sighed in relief when he saw that they hadn’t logged out yet.

 _They waited for me._ Hinata couldn’t help smiling about that. He logged it and shot them a quick PM. **_Hi! I’m so sorry I overslept >< Do you still have time to talk today? I understand if you don’t I just wanted to thank you for the guides they were really helpful. Let me know! _**

He sat back and tried to stop the thoughts that passed through his mind while he waited. Hinata hoped they weren’t too mad that he waited kind of late to respond. He couldn’t believe he fell asleep. There were a few things he wanted to get started during the day too. He groaned and slapped his hand against his forehead. It looked like he would be up a bit later again tonight.

Hinata surfed around on the pictures they posted in the thread when he saw he got a PM. He quickly clicked it and bounced a bit when he read the message.

**_I still have time to talk today. Don’t worry about the guides. It’s not a problem._ **

**_That’s great! Okay I’ll be back in a bit._** Hinata got up and walked to the kitchen. He took a seat as Tanaka looked up. “Everything good?”

Hinata nodded. “Everything good! So, how was today?”

“It was pretty good. Let me tell you about the guy that came in today!” Tanaka exclaimed while he talked about a few of his clients from the day, including one guy he ended up training with. They swapped stories about their day during dinner. It wasn’t long before they finished and cleaned up. Tanaka left to take his bath while Hinata walked back to the living room. He plopped down in front of his laptop and sent over another PM.

**_I’m back! How far are you today? Oh I was wondering if you knew how to get the special armor or do I need to beat the game to get it._ **

Hinata sent the message before he grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels. It wasn’t long before he got a response.

**_Welcome back. I already beat the game. I’m playing it on a harder level with the same gear as before. You have to beat the game first, then you get it. Do you know how to get through the final list of quests? They can be pretty hard._ **

_Hey they’re writing more than yesterday._ Hinata felt good to see that. **_Hey I was wondering are the pictures in your profile yours or did you find them?_**

**_…The ones I put in the thread have the links to the original sites. The ones in the profile are mine._ **

**_You draw too!? That’s cool! I draw too, but I haven’t drawn anything for the game yet. Have you?_ **

**_…Just the stuff I’ve posted._ **

**_I’d love to see more of your stuff! It’s pretty cool!_** Hinata bit his lip when their response took a little longer than before. He wondered if he said the wrong thing or pushed a bit far when he got a response back.

**_…Thanks…Do you still want the guide for the armor set?_ **

Hinata reached for his game when he heard Tanaka call him for his turn in the bath. He placed it back down and wrote a quick message back.

**_Yeah! I have to leave though. I’ll be back in a bit okay?_ **

Hinata grinned at the screen before he got up and walked to his room to get his pajamas.

While he may have to stay up a little later to finish a few things he didn’t mind. They waited for him and they got a chance to talk too. He couldn’t be happier! Hinata hummed on his way to the bathroom.

He would have to get their name soon. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to call them _goldenarrow5_ for long.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma goes back to something he hasn't done in a long time. A decision Kuroo, Bokuto, and Akaashi fully supports. He also gets a bit closer to his forum buddy and finally gets his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of update last week. Let's just blame it on college and my lack of a sleep pattern. Now we're on chapter 3 and I'm actually getting really excited about adding more. The update might have to be the week after this one, it depends on my schedule. Now this is my first time writing Bokuto and Akaashi and I hope that I did a good job with them.
> 
> Anyway let me know what you think!

Kenma had been distracted since their conversation last night. He went through his day thinking back to their conversation and artwork he left in his profile. It wasn’t that he didn’t like those pictures, he actually liked them, but he meant to take them down a while ago. He never got around to it though. He thought he could focus when got home, but he didn’t. He thought he could push it back with one of his games when it didn’t happen either. Kenma paused his game, pulled out his laptop, and opened his old fanart folder again. A folder he hasn’t looked at in about a few months.

He may have posted his art in his profile because he knew many people didn’t check it out since he always stuck to threads about minor characters that had a few pieces of art here or there. It was much easier than trying to post in those threads with the popular characters. Those threads always had so many fans, so many different pieces of artwork, and their expectations about the way the character should be drawn. Which led to some “true” fan telling him how to draw or how he didn’t draw said character right and…

The screen blurred in front of him as he sat back and took a few breaths to calm down. He almost entered dangerous territory there about the times he started to draw fanart and picked a popular character to practice. The way people would look over his shoulder when he told them not to or their “helpful” comments. He thought it would be easier when he started to look online for help. While there were some nice people who did help him, there were others that would pester him with some small detail he missed every time he posted a picture. After the last time someone took his picture and posted it with everything he did “wrong” about drawing the warrior he shut down his page and placed his art of the archer in his profile.

He decided he wouldn’t do it again, that is until he talked to _him_.

Kenma could still see the excited words on the screen. How they gushed about his fan art for the archer. It had been awhile since he entertained the thought of drawing some fanart again. He actually wanted to take one of his pieces and finish it. What was happening? Kenma sighed as he leaned back against the couch and took the bun out of his hair. He slid his fingers through his hair to calm down when he saw a glass of water next to him. He looked up to see Kuroo holding the glass as he watched him carefully.

“Hey, you alright?”

Kenma nodded as he took the glass. “Yeah, thanks.”

“No problem.” Kuroo took a seat next to him, his concerned eyes not leaving Kenma’s face. “Anything happen today? You’ve been really quiet since you got home. Did something happen in the forum yesterday?”

“No everything went well. It’s just…he wants to see my fanart.” Kenma said quietly before he took a sip from the glass.

“Oh, well, isn’t that good? I remember how you used to draw that all the time, but you stopped. Bokuto misses your fanart, you know. Akaashi too.”

Kenma hummed as he took another sip from the glass. “…Does he still have that one I did for him of the mage he wanted?”

“Yeah! It’s still in his room in that plastic to protect it from getting messed up. Akaashi still has the picture you drew him too. You used to love doing fanart, are you going back to it?”

Kenma looked back at the folder before he looked back at the water in his glass. He shrugged and took another sip. “I want to. I’ve wanted to for a while, but…”

“But…” Kuroo repeated.

“But I don’t want to go through that again. Do you know how many messages I got at one point? All because I changed the outfit of the warrior a bit. I don’t want to go through that again, but I want to draw again.” Kenma sighed as he slid a hand through his hair again. “I have so many things I haven’t finished before I got my job that I want to finish them.”

“Well, finish them, and you can make a private thread or page for you two to share fanart? When you’re ready to post it publically then you can open it up. When or if you do let me and Bokuto know. We’ll be moderators and take care of anyone who wants to come in and act like a jerk. How does that sound?” Kuroo grinned.

Kenma looked back down at the glass as he moved it around in his hands a bit. Between Kuroo, Bokuto, and crowarcher10, he really had to learn his name, maybe he could go back to fanart again. He nodded as he finished the rest of the water then handed the glass back to Kuroo. “Okay, I’ll think about it. I’ll let you and Bokuto-san know when I’m going to do it okay?”

Kuroo nodded. “Okay. Are you alright though? Did you need to get some air? Want something to eat? Anything?”

Kenma shook his head. While he hated whenever his anxiety would kick back up again like it did in high school, he was glad Kuroo understood. Bokuto and Akaashi did too they tried to help out as best as they could, something that Kenma appreciated. “I’m alright. I’m going to take a nap though, okay?”

Kuroo frowned a bit and Kenma hoped he wouldn’t ask him anything else when he wanted to take a nap. He nearly let out a breath of relief when Kuroo didn’t press and nodded instead. “Alright, I’ll let you know if I decide to get something.”

“Okay. Thanks for the water.” Kenma said as he got up.

Kuroo grinned. “Don’t worry about it. You go catch a cat nap okay?”

“Okay.” Kenma shook his head with a small grin on the way to his room. Sometimes Kuroo’s use of his old puns about their high school could be too much. He shuffled over to his room and got into bed. He checked the time on his phone, it was 6:30, still pretty early. He would take a quick nap, sign in to the forum for a bit, and then check on his work. With his mind made up Kenma closed his eyes and fell asleep.

*~*~*

Kenma stirred awake a few hours later as he sat up and slid his fingers through his hair. He noticed it was dark as he reached over for his phone. He glared at the time that shone back at him. It was 9:30. He grumbled a bit as he got out of bed and pulled out a hair tie from his pocket to tie his hair up. He stretched his arms over his head on the way to the bathroom. He slept a bit longer than he should have, then again it’s been a while since he got some sleep. His current project kept him up, until late at night before he had to wake up early in the morning again. He knew he had to change his sleeping habits soon or it wouldn’t be long before he was a walking pile of nerves again.

After Kenma used the bathroom he walked into the living room to grab his bag when he saw a familiar head of black hair on the couch.

“Hey Akaashi-san.”

Akaashi looked up from his book as he gave a small wave. “Good evening Kenma-kun. I’m sorry if we disturbed your evening, but Kuroo wanted to get some food from the other side of town. He told Bokuto and they insisted on making sure you didn’t wake up to an empty apartment.”

Kenma nodded as he took a seat on the couch and grabbed his laptop. “It’s fine. I just have some work to finish.”

“Alright.” Akaashi returned to his book while Kenma turned on his laptop. He really hoped Kuroo didn’t tell them what happened earlier, though he did like not waking up to an empty apartment. He had to push back the thought that he messed up Bokuto and Akaashi’s evening though. Kenma pulled up his work to distract himself before he moved to sign into the forum and send a quick message.

**_Hey, um, is it too late?_ **

Kenma flipped back to look at the details of his latest design when his email pinged. He flipped back to the forum and clicked on the message.

**_No, but I have some work to finish. >< It won’t take me that long though, so I’ll be on in an hour! But before I do how was your day? Thanks again for the guide. I won’t be able to play the game yet because I’m swamped with work, but when I have the time I’ll definitely use the guide! Oh and I started to make some fanart! I’m sorry if I made you feel bad yesterday I wanted you to know that I really liked it!_ **

**_Alright I got to go now!_ **

Kenma read the words again. He apologized for yesterday and started to make fanart too. He encouraged someone to make fanart too. Well, that was the first time that happened. He didn’t want them to feel bad about his reaction. They sounded like they were very different than other people who have passed through the forum. He quickly typed his response.

**_It’s alright. Don’t worry about yesterday. I have more guides if you need them. Um, can I see your piece when you finished?_ **

**_…Thanks again. I still have some pieces I haven’t finished. I could send them to you when I’m finished with them. If you don’t mind. Alright see you in an hour._ **

Kenma sat back with a small smile as he clicked back to his work again. While he checked the details of the background of the piece, he stifled a yawn behind his hand. Akaashi noticed as he looked up from his book. “Do you want to get some more sleep?”

Kenma shook his head. “I overslept. I want to finish this piece tonight. I have about two more to work on and finish by the end of the week.”

“Okay, if you want to go back to sleep let me know.”

“I will.”

An easy silence fell over the room again when Akaashi looked up from his book. “Oh, I meant to ask did you talk to the person Kuroo mentioned? Bokuto-san was ready to go talk to them, but I managed to talk him out of it.”

“Oh, yeah, I talked to him a bit before I started work.”

“How is he?”

“He’s fine. We’re both busy today. I don’t know how long we can talk today, but we’ll talk a bit more after we finish our work. He, um, draws too.”

“He doesn’t sound bad. Are you going to exchange codes with him soon?”

“Maybe. It would be nice to play with someone who likes the archer too.”

Akaashi nodded as he marked the place in his book and sat back on the couch. “Bokuto-san is going to get the game for us soon. I’ll let you know when we do.”

“Sure. I can give you the guides on how to get some items too.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Akaashi opened his mouth to ask something else when the front door opened and Bokuto walked in followed by Kuroo.

“We have to definitely go back there! I want to do that ice cream challenge.”

“Why? When you know you’ll lose against me.” Kuroo smirked as he closed the door then locked it behind him.

Bokuto returned it as he carried the food bags into the living room. “We’ll see.” He grinned when he spotted Kenma on the couch. “Hey Kenma! You’re up!”

Kenma gave a small wave. “Hello Bokuto-san. What did you get?”

“These burgers that takes about thirty minutes on the train to get them. They’re really good though, so it’s worth it.” Bokuto added as he carried the bags into the kitchen.

Kuroo shrugged when Kenma looked over at him. “What? I had a craving for these burgers today and wanted to go out to get them. Are you still tired?”

Kenma nodded. “A little.”

Bokuto poked his head out the kitchen while Akaashi went through the bags and set out the food. “Have you been getting enough sleep? I have something that will help if you haven’t.”

“I’ll be able to sleep once I’m finished with this piece today.” Kenma said.

“Okay let me know!” Bokuto popped his head back in the kitchen. “Hey Akaashi! They have these new fries that look really good. Want to try them with me?”

While Akaashi agreed Kuroo took a seat next to him. “I didn’t tell them about what happened. I told Bokuto you were taking a nap and I’m sure Akaashi told you the rest. So, did you talk to him today?”

Kenma nodded. “For a little bit, but we’re both busy. I’m going to talk to him again in an hour.”

“Isn’t that soon?” Kuroo asked as Kenma checked the time. “Oh yeah it is. I better eat now.” He saved his progress before he got up and walked over to the kitchen. He looked around for his food when he spotted a few apple pies. He couldn’t resist the small grin on his face as he pulled them out and placed them on the side. He pulled out his burger and fries as he took a seat at the table. He started in on his food a bit faster while Bokuto whistled. “Woah I guess you were hungrier than we thought. Why the hurry?”

“He’s going to talk to that guy again tonight.” Kuroo said as he walked in and took a seat next to Bokuto.

“Oh ho! Kuroo told us all about him. He’s sounds pretty cool! He’s not giving you any trouble is he? He’s not a troll or anything right.” Bokuto said as he narrowed his eyes.

Kenma shook his head. “He’s not, he’s pretty nice actually. He even likes my fanart that I posted a few months back.”

“Well, your art is pretty awesome.” Bokuto said.

Kenma looked down at his food as he shrugged. “It’s not the best, but thank you.”

“It is and you’re welcome. So, did anyone catch last night’s episode of that magic show? I missed it.” Bokuto started as Kuroo and Akaashi joined the conversation. Kenma listened as he nibbled on a fry while his mind returned to his fanart folder.

After they finished dinner, they returned to the living room where Kenma worked a bit more on his work while Akaashi returned to his book and Kuroo and Bokuto flipped through the t.v. looking for something to watch. After a while Bokuto decided to put on a movie. Kenma knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate very good with it on. He excused himself to his room to finish up. Bokuto invited him to watch the movie with them when he was done. Kenma agreed before he took his laptop back to his room.

Kenma walked in his room and over to his desk. He settled at his desk, turned on his lamp, and focused on his work again. When he finally finished the details of one piece he checked it one more time. After he was satisfied he flipped back to the board to check his message again. He felt good when he saw a message in his box.

**_I would love to see your piece when you finish it! I’m gonna work on one too then we can exchange it if you want to. Sorry for being a little late I accidentally knocked ink on my page and had to redo it over again. ><_ **

Kenma chuckled as he tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. **_Okay I’ll pick one to finish and we can exchange when we’re done. That’s alright. I had work to do too._**

It wasn’t too long before he received a response. **_Really? That’s great! I’ll let you know when I’m finished. I’ll make sure to do a really good one too! Ooo which bow are you going to draw?_**

Kenma sat back as he thought about which one he was going to draw. It had been a while since he drawn one he would have to practice drawing them again. **_I’m not sure, probably the water one._**

**_That’s my favorite one! Oh yeah I almost forgot, um, what’s your name? Er sorry if that’s weird, but I wanted to know if there’s anything else I can call you? Oh and any other contacts too._ **

Kenma chewed on his bottom lip as he looked over at the skype he used for his job. Well, there was the name he barely used that he made specifically for his fan and gaming activities. Then he had a tumblr too that he barely used and only got it after Lev bugged him about it. He put the link in the page, but he never checked it. He read the message again and made his mind.

 ** _Yeah I’ll link you to them._** Kenma felt a bit of excitement going through him while he placed the links in the message. **_Let me know if they work._** He moved around a bit in his chair while he waited for a response. It wasn’t long before he got a ping on his skype. He clicked on it and saw a message with a smiley face on it.

**_sunnycrow10: ^_^ It works! I followed you too. Oh and you can call me Hinata! Do you want me to use a nickname for you?_ **

**_gamingcat5: I’m glad it works. You can call me Kenma._ **

**_sunnycrow10: Okay Kenma! I can’t stay on long tonight either. >< But I can this weekend! Maybe we can exchange friend codes and play together?_ **

**_gamingcat5: I would like that._ **

**_sunnycrow10: Yay! Okay I’ll see you tomorrow!_ **

**_gamingcat5: See you._ **

**(sunnycrow10 has logged out)**

Kenma sat back in his chair as he messed around with his mouse. He did it. He got their name, they were going to talk on skype, and they were going to play together this weekend. His fingers twitched as a small grin inched across his face. He really looked forward to it.

Kenma moved to put up his work again when his fanart folder caught his eye. He saved his work project and clicked on his fanart folder. He forgot how many things he started and didn’t finish. There were a bit to choose from and he didn’t know which one to pick. Well, he did tell Hinata that they were going to exchange a piece and he didn’t want go back on it. He would have to look for the one that was closest to being finished. If he couldn’t pick one he would ask Bokuto and Kuroo which one they wanted to see. He wondered which piece Hinata would do.

He hadn’t felt this excited about a fanart in a long time.

Maybe he could do fanart again.

**Author's Note:**

> I squee and reblog about Haikyuu at my tumblr which is hananonakama07. I love meeting other fans too! ^^
> 
> Until next time! Oh, until next week!


End file.
